Ray Kurzweil

We currently understand the speed of light as a bounding factor on the transfer of information. Circumventing this limit has to be regarded as highly speculative, but ther are hints that this constraint may be able to be superseded. If there are even subtle deviations, we will ultimately harness this superliminal ability. Whether our civilization infuses the rest of the universe with its creativity and intelligence quickly or slowly depends on its immutability. In any even the "dumb" matter and machanisms of the universe will be transformed into exquisitely sublime forms of intelligence, which will constitute the sixth epoch [The Universe Wakes Up] in the evolution of patterns of information. This is the ultimate destiny of the Singularity and of the universe.

Ray Kurzweil

Source: The Singularity Is Near : When Humans Transcend Biology, Pages: 21

Being a Singularitarian has often been an alienating and lonely experience for me because most people I encounter do not share my outlook. Most "big thinkers" are totally unaware of this big thought. In a myriad of statements and comments people typically evidence the common wisdom that human life is short, that out physical and intellectual reach is limited, and that nothing fundamental will change in our lifetimes. I expect this narrow view to change as the implications of accelerating change become increasingly apparent, but having more people with whom to share my outlook is a major reason that I wrote this book.

Ray Kurzweil

Source: The Singularity Is Near : When Humans Transcend Biology, Pages: 370-371

We have the means right now to live long enough to live forever. Existing knowledge can be aggressively applied to dramatically slow down aging processes so we can still be in vital health when the more radical life extending therapies from biotechnology and nanotechnology become available. But most baby boomers won't make it because they are unaware of the accelerating aging process in their bodies and the opportunity to intervene.

Ray Kurzweil

Source: The Singularity Is Near : When Humans Transcend Biology, Pages: 371

…a future period during which the pace of technological change will be so rapid, its impact so deep, that human life will be irreversibly transformed. Although neither utopian nor dystopian, this epoch will transform the concepts that we rely on to give meaning to our lives, from our business models to the cycle of human life, including death itself. Understanding the Singularity will alter our perspective on the significance of our past and the ramifications of our future. To truly understand it inherently changes one's view of life in general and one's own particular life. I regard someone who understands the Singularity and who has reflected on its implications for his or her own life as “singularitarian."

Ray Kurzweil

Source: The Singularity Is Near : When Humans Transcend Biology, Pages: 7

Evolution is a process of creating patterns of increasing order....I believe that it's the evolution of patterns that constitutes the ultimate story of our world. Evolution works through indirection: each stage or epoch uses the information-processing methods of the previous epoch to create the next.

Ray Kurzweil

Source: The Singularity Is Near : When Humans Transcend Biology, Pages: 14